Can opener and seal



M 11. 1924. 1,499,405 H. N. ROBERTS CAN OPENER AND SEAL Filed Jan. 29, 1923 INVENTOR r M ATTaR/vfv r sume-e July 11., 1924.

HYDE 1\T. ROBERTS, OF GLOBE, ARIZONA.

CAN OPENER AND SEAL.

Application filed. January 29, 1923'. Serial No. 615,550.

To (ZZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HYLE N. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United. States, residing at Globe, county of Gila and State of Arizona, have invented a new and useful Can Opener and Seal; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact specification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention is a device for punching two holes in milk cans or the like and also for closing or sealing the holes.

The object of the invention is to provide a device that may readily be placed over milk cans or the like which when pressed against the can will punch two holes in it and which will seal the holes if it is left in place.

ll ith these ends in view the invention embodies two points having collars above them and a suitable frame for supporting the points, and also for locating them on the body of the can.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following de scription taken in connection with the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the device on a can in which the can is shown in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a view from the under side.

In the drawings I have shown my device as it would be constructed wherein numerals 1 and 2 indicate the points, numerals 3 and 4C the collars on the points, numeral 5 the horizontal bar at the top, numeral 6 the vertical member and numeral 7 the fingers that hold the device in position.

The entire device may be constructed of a piece of wire with a portion 8 bent in the form of a semicircle to form the lower side of the fingers 7 the ends of which are curved and bent backward to the center-line forming the upper sides 9 of the fingers 7 and at the center the two ends are twisted together to form the vertical member 6. At the top of the vertical member one of the ends extends outward to form the horizontal bar 5, the end of which is bent downward to form a point 2, and the other end is bent around the horizontal bar and downward to form the point 1. The ends may then be sharpened as shown in Figure 1, and the collars 8 and 4 placed around them in any desired manner.

It will be understood that changes may be vmade in the construction without departing from the spirit of the invention. One of which changes may be in the manner in which the device may be made as it may be constructed of fiator square pieces of material instead of the round wire as shown and the individual members may be riveted or welded together or cast or forged in one piece as may be desired, another change may be in the size or distance between the points as the device may be made to be used on. any type of can or other container. It is further understood that the finger 7 may be of any desired shape and as many pairs of them may be used as may be desired.

The construction will be readily understood from the foregoing description. To use the device it may be placed over the end of a can as shown in Figure 1 and by pressing on the points they will punch holes in the top of the can, one of which holes may be used for pouring the contents of the can out and the other of which will admit air into the can. It will be seen that the device may then be removed so that the contents of the can may be poured out. Should it be desired to leave a portion of the contents in the can, as in the case of sweetened condensed milk or syrup, the device may be replaced so that the holes will be closed and the collars which will rest on top of the holes will form seals so that the holes will be practically sealed. It will then be seen that the device may be removed and replaced as often as may be desired and after. the entire contents of the can have been used it may be placed on another can and used in the same manner.-

Having thus fully described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

A device for punching and sealing holes in a can which is constructed of one piece of wire that is bent in the form of a semi-circle at the lower end, then bent over and back to the center where the two ends are twisted together to form a vertical member at the upper end of which one of the ends extends outward to form a horizontal member. the outer end of which is bent downward and pointed, and the other of the ends is bent around the horizontal member and down ward to form a second point; said points having collars around them.

HYLE N. ROBERTS. 

